Insecticidal compositions of endosulfan in fenitrothion for u.l.v. treatment

ABSTRACT

A composition comprising a solution of endosulfan in fenitrothion is used to control insect parasites on plants, particularly cotton plants. The composition is suitable for use in ultra low volume treatment of plants and may be sprayed from an aircraft.

United States Patent Aronica et a].

[151 3,671,632 [451 June 20, 1972 [54] INSECTICIDAL COMPOSITIONS OFENDOSULFAN IN FENITROTHION FOR U.L.V. TREATMENT [72] inventors: ClaudeS. Aronicu, Ecully; Louis Moulin,

Tassin La Demi Lune, both of France [73] Assignee: Pechiney-Progil,Lyon, France [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1969 211 App]. No.: 858,108

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 16,!968 France ..68S0388 52us. Cl ..424 218 424/276 5 l] lntrCl [58] Held ofSearch 424/276, 218

Primary E.\'aminer-Sam Rosen Attorney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J.Lobato [57] ABSTRACT A composition comprising a solution of endosulfanin fenitrothion is used to control insect parasites on plants,particularly cotton plants. The composition is suitable for use in ultralow volume treatment of plants and may be sprayed from an aircraft.

3 Claims, No Drawings The present invention relates to insectidalcompositions having a high concentration of active principle, whichcompositions are particularly important for antiparisitic treatmentsusing a very low volume of the composition. These treatments are knownas U.L.V. (ultra low volume) treatments.

In conventional applications of agricultural pesticides, an activeprinciple such as an insecticide, fungicide or herbicide is normallynever used alone, but is used as a composition comprising the activeprinciple mixed with one or more diluents to bring its concentration toa suitable strength taking into account the dose per unit area (e.g.hectare) desired and the rate of application of the composition by theappliances used.

To the diluted compositions are normally added additives such as surfaceactive agents, wetting agents, adhesives, deflocculants andanti-lump'forming agents to facilitate the use of the composition.

Normally, before use, these compositions are diluted with water to asuitable concentration for their use.

The inventor has discovered that 0,0-dimethy1-0-(4-nitrom-tolylphosphorothioate (fenitrothion) is an excellent solvent for endosulfan(the AFNOR standardized name of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, -hexachloro -l, 5, 5a,6, 9, 9a-hexahydro -6, 9, methane-2, 4, 3-benzodioxathiepin-3-oxide).

This solubility is as follows (in parts by weight) at 10: -35 at20235-40 at 30": 40-45 ,Endosulfan is an extremely important insecticidein the fight against cotton parasites and cotton itself is very suitablefor U.L.V. treatments, mainly'by aircraft, because of the extent of thesurfaces to be treated and of the frequent lack of water TABLE 1Destruction pct-vantage of the principal pnrnsitcs '01 cotton .l'aslitllllllcliol'm- Lapllnt- Dipnl'rmlucl. used and (1050 ulautivn principleAplns 'll|ri )s sides sin. this Enrins (lunin hymn-n yvdrzt ropsis llndosull'un, 1.1itm/lmctnrn... H0 80 100 70 ill) .10 30 4( 70l'lndusullun plus lonitrothiml, l lltl'e/lmctm'u 100 100 100 100 100'100 100 100 100 100 *nJiz Composition 350 (nnlosullun, 700 fenitrothion(in pnrts by weight).

This type of composition is very satisfactory when convcntionaltreatments are carried out, in which treatments the quantities ofdiluted composition applied per unit of surface are considerable, e.g.20 to 1,000 liters per hectare.

However, generally, it is economically more important to supply specialagents in as concentrated a fonn as possible. For a given pesticidalpower the greater are the economics in packing (packaging), storage andtransport which are achieved, that is to say on all the expenses thatare proportional to the weight of the special agents and not to theweight of the active material.

Furthermore, when U.L.V. treatments have to be made where the quantitiesof the composition applied per unit of surface are very low (0.5 litersper hectare) it is necessary to use extremely concentrated compositionssince the total volume to be applied per hectare practically correspondsto the active material necessary to obtain good destruction of insects.

1f the active material itself is a liquid, the problem is relativelysimple, since it suffices to use it alone, normally as the technicallypure compound or with a very small quantity of additives.

It is because of this that malathion (dithiophosphate of 0.0 dimethyl-S(1, 2-dicarbethoxyethyl) is very widely used in U.L.V.

On the other hand, if solid active principles have to be applied thepreparation of compositions which are usable in U.L.V. is morecomplicated, since it is necessary to find solvents in which the activeprinciple has a very high solubility to obtain the required highconcentrations, which have a low volatility to avoid their evaporationbefore their arrival on the culture, which are non-phytotoxic, which areof low initial cost and which have a low inflammability so as to beusable in aerial treatments. 7

The invention resides in the discovery of a compound which is both asolvent possessing the desirable properties defined above and aninsecticide, and to thus obtain concentrated solutions of oneinsecticide in another insecticide, with a very considerable reductionin the quantities of any other additives required.

The results in the above table corresponds to trials made in open air.They demonstrate the considerable le practical interest of the inventioncompositions.

it is clear, that by a synergistic phenomenon, the compounds, endosulfanand fenitrothion mutually activate each other and exercise, when the areused together, an insecticidal action very superior to that each of thecompounds .used individually.

Even if, first sight, this superiority of action does not give the fullimport in figures, the spectacular differences, on the other hand, inthe practical plane, these differences are of capital interest.

For example, for parasites such as Heliathis sp., an incompletedestruction thereof is of a limited practical interest, since a singlecaterpillar of this species is capable of destroying about 50 floralbuds in one day.

It will therefore be seen that the difiercnce between a treatmentresulting in percent mortalityand a treatment having given totalmortality, is very important.

For the practical use of the inventive compositions there may be addedto the mixture of active materials small quantities of additives mainlyto improve the physical properties, such as fluidity and adherence ofthe composition of products intended to reduce the surface tension ofthe composition. It may also be advantageous to add a small quantity ofstabilize to the composition.

It is thus 'that the composition used by the applicant for trials theresults of which have been given above, had the following composition(in parts by weight).

Technical Endosulfan 350 Technical Fenitrothion 700 Solvantar 400 1)Epichlorhydrin (2) I 10 and sulficient Dutrex v.2 (3) Total 1,290

to make the composition up to 1 liter, that is about 1,000 c.c. of asolution of a density 1.3.

1. Solvantar 400 is an aromatic petroleum solvent sold by Messrs. Antar2. Epichlorhydrin is stabilizer for endosulfan respective percentages ofthe active materials or the quantities of 3. aromatic petroleum solventof Shell This formulation is only given by way of an indication, itbeing quite evident that it is possible, as a function of the exactnature of the parasitism presents, as well as of the volume to beapplied per hectare (a function itself of the treatment appliance used)to modify, either the quantities of the solvents used.

Of course it is evident, in fact, that the efficacy of the treatmentbeing substantially conditioned by the quantity/hectare of the activematerial applied, the solution will be different depending on whetherthe treatment appliance is provided to apply 0.5 or 5 l/Ha.

Furthermore, if in the above-mentioned composition all or part of theDutrex is replaced by one or more appropriate surface active agents,there will be obtained emulsifiable compositions which may be used forU.L.V. treatments, or as an aqueous emulsion for conventionaltreatments.

lt is also clear that, if in the zones to be treated the dominantparasite is composed of Platyedra and Prodenia for example (specieswhich are more sensitive to fenitrothion than to endosulfan), it isdesirable to use compositions more concen trated in fenitrothion andlessconcentrated in endosulfan, for example:

endosulfan: parts by weight fenitrothion: 900 parts by weight In ageneral way, the compositions in accordance with the invention couldcontain 1 part of endosulfan to l to 10 parts of fenitrothion.

It is also possible to add to the compositions in accordance with theinvention, other insecticidal compounds and mainly other phosphoricesters, such as for example parathion or other chlorinated insecticidessuch as D.D.T., H.C.H. or lindane. The addition of these other compoundsmay necessitate the use of a third solvent in suflicient quantity.

What is claimed is:

l. A liquid insecticidal composition containing as an active

2. A process for the treatment of substrates susceptible to insecticidalattach which process comprises applying thereto a composition comprisinga solution of 1 part by weight of endosulfan in 1 to 10 parts by weightof fenitrothion.
 3. A process for the treatment of cotton plants whichprocess comprises applying thereto from an aircraft a solution of 1 partby weight of endosulfan in 1 to 10 parts by weight of fenitrothion.